Tyrant: Destroyer of Cities
For my friends
Contents
MILETUS, HEADQUARTERS OF ANTIGONUS ONE-EYE, THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON
BOOK THREE THE SIEGE OF RHODES
DEMETRIOS’ CAMP, ISLE OF RHODES, LATE SPRING, 305 BC
PART V THE DESTROYER OF CITIES
Airyanãm
(Avestan) Noble, heroic.
Aspis
(Classical Greek) A large round shield, deeply dished, commonly carried by Greek (but not Macedonian)
hoplites
.
Baqca
(Siberian) Shaman, mage, dream-shaper.
Chiton
(Classical Greek) A garment like a tunic, made from a single piece of fabric folded in half and pinned down the side, then pinned again at the neck and shoulders and belted above the hips. A men’s
chiton
might be worn long or short. Worn very short, or made of a small piece of cloth, it was sometimes called a ‘chitoniskos’. Our guess is that most
chitons
were made from a piece of cloth roughly 60 x 90 inches, and then belted or roped to fit, long or short. Pins, pleating, and belting could be simple or elaborate. Most of these garments would, in Greece, have been made of wool. In the East, linen might have been preferred.
Chlamys
(Classical Greek) A garment like a cloak, made from a single piece of fabric woven tightly and perhaps even boiled. The
chlamys
was usually pinned at the neck and worn as a cloak, but could also be thrown over the shoulder and pinned under the right or left arm and worn as a garment. Free men are sometimes shown naked with a
chlamys
, but rarely shown in a
chiton
without a
chlamys
– the
chlamys
, not the
chiton
, was the essential garment, or so it appears. Men and women both wear the
chlamys
, although differently. Again, a 60 x 90 piece of cloth seems to drape correctly and have the right lines and length.
Daimon
(Classical Greek) Spirit.
Ephebe
(Classical Greek) A new hoplite; a young man just training to join the forces of his city.
Epilektoi
(Classical Greek) The chosen men of the city or of the
phalanx
; elite soldiers.
Eudaimia
(Classical Greek) Well-being. Literally, ‘well-spirited’. See
daimon
, above.
Gamelia
(Classical Greek) A Greek holiday.
Gorytos
(Classical Greek and possibly Scythian) The open-topped quiver carried by the Scythians, often highly decorated.
Himation
(Classical Greek) A heavy garment consisting of a single piece of cloth at least 120 inches long by 60 inches wide, draped over the body and one shoulder, worn by both men and women.
Hipparch
(Classical Greek) The commander of the cavalry.
Hippeis
(Classical Greek) Militarily, the cavalry of a Greek army. Generally, the cavalry class, synonymous with ‘knights’. Usually the richest men in a city.
Hoplite
(Classical Greek) A Greek soldier, the heavy infantry who carry an
aspis
(the big round shield) and fight in the
phalanx
. They represent the middle class of free men in most cities, and while sometimes they seem like medieval knights in their outlook, they are also like town militia, and made up of craftsmen and small farmers. In the early Classical period, a man with as little as twelve acres under cultivation could be expected to own the
aspis
and serve as a
hoplite
.
Hoplomachos
(Classical Greek) A man who taught fighting in armour.
Hyperetes
(Classical Greek) The
Hipparch
’s trumpeter, servant, or supporter. Perhaps a sort of NCO.
Kithara
(Classical Greek) A musical instrument like a lyre.
Kline
(Classical Greek) A couch or bed on which Hellenic men and women took meals and perhaps slept, as well.
Kopis
(Classical Greek) A bent bladed knife or sword, rather like a modern Ghurka kukri. They appear commonly in Greek art, and even some small eating knives were apparently made to this pattern.
Machaira
(Classical Greek) The heavy Greek cavalry sword, longer and stronger than the short infantry sword. Meant to give a longer reach on horseback, and not useful in the
phalanx
. The word could also be used for any knife.
Parasang
(Classical Greek from Persian) About thirty
stades
. See below.
Phalanx
(Classical Greek) The infantry formation used by Greek
hoplites
in warfare, eight to ten deep and as wide as circumstance allowed. Greek commanders experimented with deeper and shallower formations, but the
phalanx
was solid and very difficult to break, presenting the enemy with a veritable wall of spear points and shields, whether the Macedonian style with pikes or the Greek style with spears. Also,
phalanx
can refer to the body of fighting men. A Macedonian
phalanx
was deeper, with longer spears called
sarissas
that we assume to be like the pikes used in more recent times. Members of a
phalanx
, especially a Macedonian
phalanx
, are sometimes called
Phalangites
.
Phylarch
(Classical Greek) The commander of one file of
hoplites
. Could be as many as sixteen men.
Porne
(Classical Greek) A prostitute.
Pous
(Classical Greek) About one foot.
Prodromoi
(Classical Greek) Scouts; those who run before or run first.
Psiloi
(Classical Greek) Light infantry skirmishers, usually men with bows and slings, or perhaps javelins, or even thrown rocks. In Greek city-state warfare, the
psiloi
were supplied by the poorest free men, those who could not afford the financial burden of
hoplite
armour and daily training in the gymnasium.
Sastar
(Avestan) Tyrannical. A tyrant.
Spola
(Classical Greek) Body armour of leather. Herakles in heroic depiction has a spola in the form of a lion’s skin, but soldiers might wear anything from a light leather tunic to stiffened abdomenal protection and call it a spola.
Stade
(Classical Greek) About 1/8 of a mile. The distance run in a ‘stadium’. 178 meters. Sometimes written as
Stadia
or
Stades
by me. Thirty
Stadia
make a
Parasang
.
Taxies
(Classical Greek) The sections of a Macedonian
phalanx
. Can refer to any group, but often used as a ‘company’ or a ‘battalion’. My taxeis has between 500 and 2,000 men, depending on losses and detachments. Roughly synonymous with
phalanx
above, although a
phalanx
may be composed of a dozen
taxeis
in a great battle.
Thorax/Thorakes
(Classical Greek) Body armour – literally, that which covered the abdomen. Could be bronze, quilted wool or linen or a mixture of textile and metal armour; could also refer to a leather armour like a spola. The so-called ‘muscle cuirass’ forged by the armourer to look like the male abdomen was one form, and probably the most expensive.
Xiphos
(Classical Greek) A straight-bladed infantry sword, usually carried by
hoplites
or
psiloi
. Classical Greek art, especially red-figure ware, shows many
hoplites
wearing them, but only a handful have been recovered and there’s much debate about the shape and use. They seem very like a Roman gladius.
HERAKLEA ON THE EUXINE, SPRING 306 BC
S
tratokles the Athenian sat on an iron stool in his mistress’s receiving chamber, and crossed his legs comfortably.
‘Interesting times, Despoina,’ he said.
She was reading through her correspondence – he’d already read it, of course – and making notes. ‘Demetrios has taken Athens!’ she said. She snapped her fingers at a maid for more milk, and tapped her fingers impatiently until the maid had warmed the milk in a silver cup, mixed in honey and transferred the contents to a second cup, before presenting it with averted eyes.
Quietly, firmly, she spoke to her slave. ‘Listen, girl. I expect you to have this ready-mixed. Understand? Don’t wait for me to demand it. How long have you been with me?’ Amastris of Heraklea snapped her index finger against the maid’s forehead and the girl cried out. Then Amastris turned back to her Athenian. ‘Does this change your views on Antigonus One-Eye?’
Stratokles shrugged, wondering idly if, by comforting the slave-girl after his interview with her mistress, he might put himself between her legs. He allowed himself to catch her eyes, and she hesitated before looking away. Interesting. Slaves were always so
lonely
.
‘Are you attending to me, sir?’ Amastris asked sharply.
Stratokles was unflappable – at least, by his mistress. ‘It relieves me of any responsibilities towards Demetrius of Phaleron or Cassander,’ he said carefully. ‘I remain loyal to the city of Athens. Demetrios the Golden will pretend to be a democrat – everyone always does when they come to power in Athens. We shall see, after the first few months. But, for once, the news from Athens is not the most important. There’s more news – more immediate, if not more important. Look at the dispatch from Byzantium.’
Amastris shook her head, the blond ringlets staying crisp and perfect as her head went from side to side. She drank her honeyed milk absently. ‘When I finish this.’
Stratokles got up and poured himself a cup of wine.
‘Satyrus is coming here!’ Amastris said, eyes on the scroll, and her hand went to her hair as if she needed to preen a little.
‘Yes, Despoina,’ Stratokles laughed. He wished that he might affect her – or any woman – the way Satyrus of Tanais affected her. He shot a glance at the maid, who met it – and then dropped her eyes.
Played this game before, have, you?
he thought with satisfaction. ‘He’s coming with his fleet and his merchants, moving the grain south to Alexandria.’
‘As usual, not coming just to
see me
.’ She sat up. ‘Why does my uncle continue to forbid the match? I want to be wed.’ She read further. ‘He’s too devoted to that slut of a sister. He’d be well rid of her.’